Patients with dementia are at high risk for CAUTIs. Coussement et al. They (2018) state that most of the time, their appearance is asymptomatic. There are many evidence-based treatments for urinary tract infections that have been demonstrated by researchers. However, no standardization has occurred. Geriatric patients can be exposed to multidrug resistance if there is no defined treatment and diagnostic strategy. A practitioner will immediately prescribe antibiotics to a client if he suspects they have a urinary tract problem. If the client isn’t diagnosed quickly, they could be at risk of serious complications, including recurring UTIs or irreversible kidney damage.
Primary prevention is the best way to address this problem. Markowitz et al. (2018) found that Uroshield reduces the rate of bacterial colonization within an intravascular catheter. This method uses ultrasonic waves to prevent germs from forming a film on the catheter. The annual cost to treat a urinary tract infection in the United States is estimated at $2,000. It is important to note that clients with recurring infections of the urinary tract will incur an increase in their annual cost. Implementing the new technology will decrease the costs and risks associated with CAUTIs.
Study’s purpose is to evaluate the Uroshield device’s effectiveness in preventing CAUTIs among the elderly, in comparison with other options such as antibiotic therapy.
Researchers
Is the Uroshield technology able to reduce the risk of CAUTIs in hospitalized patients older than 65 years?
Literature Review
Recent statistics show an increase in urinary tract infections caused by foley catheters among elderly hospitalized patients. An analysis of statistics shows that urinary catheters will be used by approximately 25% of the hospitalized and 10% of those in nursing care. The risk of developing CAUTIs is currently 75% to 25% for older people. Half of the senior residents in nursing homes will also get CAUTIs. Infections of the urinary tract are responsible for 40% (CDC, 2019).
The likelihood of bacterial growth increases with longer catheterization times. Enterococcus, Klebsiella pneumonia and E. coli form a biofilm on the catheter. They adhere to the catheter layer and proliferate quickly, producing deadly colonies within a very short time. Markowitz et al. (2018) show that Uroshield is an effective bactericide. The device reduced colony-forming bacteria units by over 90 percent in the studied participants. These results show that the device can reduce the incidence of symptomsatic urinary tract infection.